Proposed commuter benefits could save employees money

Tuesday

A proposal involving federal tax write-offs for public transportation commuters would benefit employers, employees and the city

Earlier this month, I took part in the Columbus Transportation Innovation Challenge, a weekend-long “hackathon” focused on tomorrow’s transportation hurdles in Central Ohio.

The challenge unearthed an exciting new proposal. The weekend’s winning team proposed that Columbus replicate Seattle’s Commuter Benefits Ordinance, set to take effect January 2020.

Seattle’s ordinance requires employers to allow their employees to write off the taxes for all qualified transportation expenses besides parking. The goal of Seattle’s ordinance is to provide a benefit for lower-income workers and to encourage the use of public transportation.

Read the rest of Rob Moore's "Local Politics" column on the Alive website.